SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 (2024)

One big franchise quietly making a fortune is Paramount Pictures’ Sonic the Hedgehog, which debuted in 2020 amidst fan outcry over the (hastily improved) design of the eponymous spiky speedster. It subsequently grossed $320M and the 2022 sequel improved on that to the tune of $405M, making it seem like Sonic had found a sweet spot for audiences — middle-aged parents know and like the character from 1990s SEGA video games, while younger audiences likewise have familiarity and, perhaps most interestingly, responded positively to its seams of Japanophilia. 

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is the best instalment so far, although they’re really all much of a muchness. The first Sonic still has the best emotional beats and family-friendly messaging behind its core story, the second upped the action and introduced more characters to make things feel more alive and fun, and this third film does a decent job finding the balance of what’s come before. The humour is better here, perhaps — but that’s subjective —and the scale of events has ballooned thanks to Sonic 3 costing $122M to make (that’s $30M more than the original).

Here, super-fast alien hedgehog Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), clever fox Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and arrogant echidna Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) are called into action as “Team Sonic” to help the Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N) stop an escaped fugitive called Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves) from destroying Tokyo. But upon seeing that Shadow bears an uncanny resemblance to Sonic himself, the gang slowly unravel the mystery of Shadow’s arrival on Earth 50 years ago, which involves teaming up with the defeated Dr Ivo Robotnik (Jim Carrey) — who has an unexpected family connection to Shadow’s origin story.

While familiar with Sonic, the storyline this movie pulls from has its basis in video games released after my early interest in video games had waned somewhat — 2001’s Sonic Adventure and 2005’s Shadow the Hedgehog. But this does mean the film will likely appeal to gamers who know the lore, which is certainly something writer-director Jeff Fowler clearly wants to be faithful to. I hadn’t realised until recently that Fowler helped animate the 2005 Shadow game, so this is a franchise he’s been intimately involved with for decades now.

Look, this is Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It’s nothing more than almost two hours of CGI cartoons making quips, meta-jokes, VFX-heavy action sequences, lighthearted comedy, morals and messaging from “parent” characters Tom (James Marsden) and Maddie Wachowski (Tika Sumpter), and an even bigger showcase than ever for the physical talents of Jim Carrey. Indeed, the big selling point of Sonic 3 is that Carrey is playing his own grandfather now, Professor Gerald Robotnik, and with the use of digital magic he’s able to appear opposite himself. There’s even a musical number set to the Chemical Brothers’ “Galvanize”, with the two moustachioed Robotniks dancing through a room of red lasers while wearing reflective red bodysuits.

The interesting thing about the Sonic movies, but particularly this one, is how they seem to have tapped into what kids actually want to see — for better or worse. I have nieces aged 10-14 and their parents forget the stuff my generation grew up watching aren’t necessarily what children born in the 2010s care about, which explains why so many reboots and updates of 1980s classics are now struggling.

Do kids in 2024 care about Ghostbusters the same way people over-35 do? Not really. Instead, the cultural focus is shifting more to video games and anime, which are both things Sonic 3 leans into. It’s a rare video game adaptation that’s worked for mainstream audiences, but it’s also taking cues from the cinematic language of anime —most notably in the designs of Robotnik’s technology and the choreography of the fights. There are Sonic vs Shadow moments straight from Dragon Ball Z, but also The Matrix Revolutions (2003). Gotta give the grownups something.

There’s a long sequence set in Japan that’s only there to pay tribute to the birthplace of SEGA’s mascot, but also make sure the film feels less like a cynical Hollywood product and something Asian audiences might be interested in checking out too. The climax takes place in London and involved world-famous landmarks, so that helps secure the European fans. It sounds like the movie’s been put together more as a business project than an artistic endeavour, which is probably true to an extent, but Jeff Fowler seems to genuinely care about bringing fans something they’ll be satisfied by. The narrative is faithful to the games, and while it’s all goofy nonsense everything is underpinned with solid messaging that extols positive values about how you treat people and help them get over grief and pain. It’s best watched with the intended target audience of children, too, who haven’t seen variations of this stuff over decades already.

And if you’re too old to give in to whatever pleasures there are here, it certainly helps that Jim Carrey continues to bring a ridiculous amount of commitment and energy to a role that taps into his Ace Ventura-esque persona. Robotnik was a standout part of the previous films, and that remains true here. Carrey allegedly retired after Sonic 2 and admitted he’s only back for financial reasons, but there isn’t a hint of lethargy or self-loathing about him appearing in a third Sonic movie. As someone who famously refused to do sequels after the disappointment of Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995) — until the paycheque for making Dumb & Dumber To (2014) proved too alluring —it’s strange to see he’s now played Robotnik more often than any other role. And Robotnik isn’t particularly interesting or hilarious as a concept, but Carrey’s commitment to the part goes a long way. And I’m sure it was appealing to undertake a dual role, which he carries off with enthusiasm. 

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 isn’t going to win over those who disliked the first two films, or have ignored them on the basis of not wanting to support big-budget IP movies. But for younger fans and Sonic enthusiasts, it’s surprisingly spirited and makes for an entertaining distraction. I just hope they can get Carrey back if this saga continues, as without him it’ll inevitable slow to a crawl despite Ben Schwartz’s best efforts as the voice of everyone’s favourite blue hedgehog.

USA • JAPAN | 2024 | 110 MINUTES | 2.39:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

director: Jeff Fowler.
writers: Pat Casey, Josh Miller & John Whitington (story by Pat Casey & Josh Miller; based on ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ by SEGA).
starring: Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz (voice), Krysten Ritter, Natasha Rothwell, Shemar Moore, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Idris Elba (voice), Colleen O’Shaughnessey (voice) & Keanu Reeves (voice).